Alfonso Cuarón’s much-hyped, Oscar-winning 3D space drama / sort-of sci-fi translates well to home video, even in a flat 2D version, but it’s a film more impressive for being an immersive audio-visual experience than storytelling, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

With so much invested in capturing and conveying the drama of being stranded in Earth’s orbit after wreckage from a blown-apart satellite shreds several space stations and damages ts emergency return crafts, the story and dialogue can’t be showy; keeping the language professional and threadbare was the right approach in making sure audiences feel the terror as astronaut Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) struggles to return to an intact section of an orbiting station, only to be ejected into the openness and essentially leap-frog from space pod to station to pod in the hope of reaching Earth’ warm surface in a barely functional capsule.

George Clooney plays the mission captain and Stone’s savior, and there’s a point in the film where things get a little trippy, mandating an acceptance of certain perceived events, and Stone’s effort to return home by propelling and flinging herself in some insane situations which might (do) test the limits of believability. They’re still hair-raising set-pieces, but the ‘return to Earth’ sequence maybe asks audiences to accept one too many incredible goals.

Cuarón’s technical direction is amazing – the opening sequence lacks any cuts, and later edits have a subliminal feel – and Bullock offers an accessible (and necessary) human element to ensure the film isn’t just a special effects extravaganza.

Steven Price’s Oscar-winning score conveys tension without resorting to clichéd musical sounds – most of the score is interweaving drones and grinding electronica, making up for Cuarón’s use of muted sounds in the stillness of space – but the score falls apart during Ryan’s return, adopting a melodic style far too close to a generic Hans Zimmer-produced wrap-up cue. It’s a generic track in an otherwise inventive score, and instead of conveying reality or Ryan’s humanity, the cue transforms the finale into a generic sci-fi finale, which is a shame.

Warner Home Video’s chosen to release the film in separate DVD, BR/DVD combo, and 3D BR combo editions, each carrying a steady wealth of extras that contextualize the film’s effects, production and casting, and more importantly, the very real threat of space junk that’s still building up around the Earth, and increasing the chances of a devastating collision. Cuarón’s enactment of a destroyed space station is horrifying – the craft is shredded to pieces, making it clear no one can survive the impact of particles moving faster that bullets. The main doc, “Collision Point: The Race to Clean Up Space,” was appropriately narrated by Ed Harris, who makes a cameo as the voice of Mission Control, recalling his performances in the space docu-dramas Apollo 13 (1995) and The Right Stuff (1983).

Gravity was designed to be seen in cinemas, but it’s still an affecting work which also brings attention to a serious global problem without sermonizing audiences.

Making their debut on Blu on this side of the pond are the Dutch marine classic Admiral / Michiel de Ruyter (2015) from XLrator, and Richard Burton’s U.S. debut with Olivia de Havilland in My Cousin Rachel (1952) via Twilight Time.

A lengthy podcast with Peter Roffman, editor / author of Dear Guelda: The Death and Life of Pioneering Canadian Filmmaker Julian Roffman, director of the CanCon 3D classic The Mask (1961), and so much more.

Cited as a strong influence on Universal’s expressionistic horror films of the 1930s, The Man Who Laughs was the first major film version of Victor Hugo’s 1869 novel that told the truly horrible tale of a disfigured child adopted by a small-time circus owner, and years later, becomes a celebrity of sorts when his disfigurement enthralls locals…

Woody Allen’s last film starring Mia Farrow is one of his best and darkest comedies, hyper-fixating on the (largely) negative effects of infidelity – the film earned Oscar nominations for writing and supporting actress (Judy Davis) – but its most powerful moments…

Written during his busiest period (1968-1970), Quincy Jones’ score for John and Mary was quite sparse, leaving obligatory space for the film’s myriad dialogue exchanges and source music, but the score is memorable for being atypical of the material Jones was writing at the time: action comedies (The Italian Job, The Hell with Heroes), comedies (Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice,Cactus Flower), and the funky style of They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!

For some soundtrack fans, it was a bit of surprise to learn the composer of pioneering synth scores had begun his career with large orchestral scores for John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981) and Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal (1982)…

The first film in the enduring franchise gave John Powell the perfect opportunity to write what remains both his definitive action sound, and the definitive action score of that decade, blending large orchestral sounds with layers upon layers of electronics…

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